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Up Ye Mighty Nation

On September 20th, we will put thousands more in the streets in Jena, to demand justice for Mychal Bell. This time the demand for justice will resonate throughout the land.

[Guest Commentary]

Jena, Louisiana makes it even clearer that racism and its systemic aggression against Black Americans continues to grow in this country.

In New York, we put a thousand people in the streets, in a march down Fifth avenue, to demand justice for Sean Bell.

On September 20th, we will put thousands more in the streets in Jena, to demand justice for Mychal Bell. This time the demand for justice will resonate throughout the land.

Called for by Detroit City Councilman Kwame Kenyatta and activist radio personality Bob Law of New York, a national coalition for justice has formed asking all Black Americans to stand in solidarity with the Jena 6, The Katrina International Tribunal and the many others fighting for justice in Louisiana.

The convictions of the six Black youngsters in Jena have been thrown out by a state appeals court that ruled that Mychal Bell who was 16 at the time of his arrest should not have been tried as an adult.

The Third Circuit Court of appeals actually ruled however that the case “remains exclusively in juvenile court.” Our concern is that the racist double standard remains in tact allowing whites to commit acts of aggression against Blacks with immunity, while Black youngsters must be unjustly imprisoned and still stand trail.

The National Coalition For Justice stands today in solidarity with the thousands marching in Jena, and with those gathering at court houses and City Halls in city’s around the country including St Louis, Kansas City, New York, Detroit, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Newark, and more, all occurring at 12 noon today September 20, the day Mychal Bell was scheduled to be sentenced for a bogus second degree murder conviction.

We stand in solidarity with Blacks nationally calling on the mayor of each American city, as well as everyone with a national voice and influence, to publicly denounce the judicial farce taking place in Jena, Louisiana, and that the nations city councils follow the lead of Cambridge, Maryland and Detroit, Michigan and pass resolutions in the interest of justice, calling for the dismissals of all charges against the Jena 6, not just another trial in juvenile court, and we call on the corporations in Louisiana that manufacture among other things Tabasco, and Louisiana hot sauce, and are the recipients of millions of Black consumer dollars, to denounce the injustice and blatant racism in Jena Louisiana, and indeed throughout the state of Louisiana. most notably New Orleans ninth ward. We appeal to these influential corporations since some communities have already begun to say, no justice no profit.

In allowing the justice system to run its course while Mychal Bell sat in prison the so called justice system actually ran off course. Enough is Enough. We draw the line against racism and injustice here and now.

To be in touch with the National Coalition for Justice, go to cfjustice.com or call 718 636-1967

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